To all of you who saw the rise of East Carolina coming . . . well, we all should have. Look at what wunderkind coach Skip Holtz had coming in and it’s not surprising the Pirates are the first big story line of the season.

In his fourth year, Holtz had 16 starters back from an 8-5 team that lost three games to schools in BCS conferences. His returnees included two 1,000-yard passers who helped break school records for points (403) and touchdowns (52), plus nine defensive starters who led East Carolina to 31 takeaways.

In light of that, beating Virginia Tech 27-22 on a neutral field and then thumping West Virginia 24-3 should not be too shocking. However, it did put East Carolina on the map. For those geographically challenged, East Carolina is not a state. It’s in Greenville, N.C., which is in the eastern part of North Carolina.

Got it?

Now get this: Patrick Pinkney. He’s one of the 1,000-yard passers who won the starting job in the spring after missing all of 2005 and 2006 because of shoulder surgeries. The son of former Pirates defensive back Reggie Pinkney (1974-76), Patrick was only the 31st-ranked prep prospect in North Carolina.

But it’s not just Pinkney. East Carolina, now No. 14 in the Associated Press poll, was the first team to keep West Virginia out of the end zone in seven years.

“They are playing with desire, passion, togetherness,” Holtz said of the Pirates. “Every facet, from the offense to defense to special teams, was fantastic.”

Attention, CU: Mountaineers’ defense stinks.

The bad news for Colorado is West Virginia has 11 days to stew over getting humiliated before it visits Boulder on Sept. 18. The good news is the Mountaineers’ young defense was exposed.

Forget East Carolina passing for 243 yards and running for 143. Villanova, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) team, ran for 190 yards on the Mountaineers the week before. Only six sacks made Villanova’s stats less shocking. The Wildcats also had 28 first downs.

Hurting West Virginia is linebacker Reed Williams, last year’s leading tackler, still is recovering from shoulder surgery and may redshirt.

Flag! Excessive smiling!

The worst rule in sports? I mean, besides having to call former I-AA teams Football Championship Subdivision teams? It’s college football’s excessive celebration rule. Washington quarterback Jake Locker had the audacity to jauntily toss the football up in the air after scoring a touchdown with two seconds left to pull the Huskies to within 28-27 of Brigham Young.

Nope. The 15-yard penalty resulted in a blocked PAT, and a great college upset was lost. This is ridiculous. Locker didn’t burn the opposing mascot in the end zone. He was penalized for being happy.

“It really should be a no-call, but it’s one that they have to call when they see it,” embattled Washington coach Tyrone Willingham said. “The game is an emotional game. We cannot play it without emotion, and therefore we are going to celebrate. The key is to manufacture the right celebration that does not belittle the game or the sportsmanship that should be part of the game.”

No. The key is to manufacture a new rule. Today.

Game of the century?

I’m not covering Saturday’s allegedly epic Ohio State- Southern California game in Los Angeles, and now I’m glad. Ohio State should get drilled. If little Ohio battered quarterback Todd Boeckman most of the game, what is the best USC defense in Pete Carroll’s eight-year tenure going to do?

Tailback Chris Wells had better recover from his sprained ankle. Without him, Ohio State averaged barely 4 yards on 40 carries in the Buckeyes’ 26-14 win.

“I don’t see another top-five team doing what we did today,” Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline said.

Don’t be surprised to see star freshman Terrelle Pryor get more playing time than the three-and- out series he had against Ohio.

First for Swank.

Wake Forest hero Sam Swank is the NCAA active leader with 65 field goals, but his game-winner against Mississippi was the first of his career. He duck-hooked a 47-yarder in the closing seconds of a 17-16 loss at Virginia last Nov. 3 and has hit nine in a row since.

He’s pretty laid back. The beach kid from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., even got married on the beach this summer.

Notre Dame line: No sacks!

With new full-time starters in center Dan Wenger, a part-time starter last year, and converted tackle Chris Stewart at guard, Notre Dame, which set an NCAA record for giving up 58 sacks last year, didn’t give up one in its season-opening, 21-13 win over San Diego State. The Irish did, however, give up five tackles for loss.

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